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The Match of the Round heads to the House of Gumby with the hosts and the Furies playing off for a chance to progress directly to the preliminary final. The Gumbies have been the fairytale story of the season but with their fair share of bumps, whilst the Furies have also had their off-field troubles on their way to 3rd on the ladder. Whoever wins, it will be just another chapter in a story of redemption but with the safety net of another chance should things go south.
Season Overview
Gumbies FFC
The Gumbies have quietly racked up the wins this season without being outstanding or intimidating, a percentage of 103.59 indicating this despite their 12-5 record. They've never topped the ladder, watching the Warriors and Demons go on their terrific runs, but have been a top 4 side for essentially the entire season; even a teamsheet submission error didn't stop them from a 2nd placed finish. They tend to win games by small margins, as indicated by that narrow percentage, but are still the 4th best attacking team in the competition which will match up well against the Furies.
Fighting Furies
Throughout the season, the Furies have looked in finals contention and finished the season well to sit in 3rd along with the best percentage in the league. They've won the last 4 games in a row in the lead-up to finals and finished the H&A season as the best defensive team in the league, conceding just 87 points on average, a full goal less than the next best. They've had some off-field issues but on-field have been nothing short of superb, with a very wide range of contributors.
Form & Playing Style
Gumbies FFC
Both clubs are heading into this match with 4 game winning streak but it's been slightly harder going for the Gumbies. They've won their last 4 by an average margin of 18, more impressive considering they were missing star midfielder @BRABfor the last 2. They are a fairly free flowing team but can often struggle to contain the opposition with their ageing backline. Their ability to win close ones is uncanny however, and a percentage so low in a position so high is almost an advantage, highlighting their performances under pressure.
Fighting Furies
No one shuts down the opposition better than the Furies, with their solid backline restricting teams to a league low 87 points per game. Moving forward they can still blast teams out of the water, as evidenced by a 95 point win over the Wonders just a month ago, but their defensive fallback is handy to have. Like the Gumbies, have won their last 4 on the trot but with an average winning margin of 42 have certainly had things a bit easier.
Margin Charts
Facts & Stats
Played: 53
Gumbies FFC: 25
Fighting Furies: 28
At The House of Gumby
Played: 22
Gumbies FFC: 8
Fighting Furies: 14
Last Five Matches
Code:
S26 R10 Fighting Furies 7.11 (53) lost to Gumbies FFC 16.12 (108) rfctigerarmy's hippodrome
S25 R14 Fighting Furies 15.10 (100) lost to Gumbies FFC 20.8 (128) rfctigerarmy's hippodrome
S25 R03 Gumbies FFC 16.9 (105) lost to Fighting Furies 17.5 (107) The House of Gumby
S24 R11 Gumbies FFC 11.4 (70) lost to Fighting Furies 15.12 (102) The House of Gumby
S23 R17 Geelong Wolves 19.11 (125) defeated Fighting Furies 9.11 (65) The LairThe Four Points
• Gumbies FFC have scored the same amount of points as their opposition in matches at The House of Gumby this season at 99.11 points per game.
• The Gumbies haven't beaten Fighting Furies at The House of Gumby since Round Three of Season 18. For seasons 19-23 the Gumbies (then as Geelong Wolves) played their home matches at The Lair.
• Fighting Furies have the best defence so far in Season 26, conceding only 86.82 points per game. The Gumbies are the fourth best defensive unit this season conceding 96.59 points per game.
• Gumbies FFC and Fighting Furies have met in six finals with the Furies leading the finals head-to-head record 5-1. The Gumbies however did win the last final between the two clubs, the Season 16 Grand Final, by one point.
In the Know: The away side has won the last four matches in Gumbies FFC vs Fighting Furies fixtures.
roo2macca (Gumbies) - Can easily lay claim to being the most consistent player of the competition and has hit career best form at his new home. Leads the league in DT points with 86.1 per game, even more impressive considering it's a full 4 points higher than the next best. Acts like a 4th midfielder but can still match it with the best in the ruck contest, a meticulous operator and one that will be crucial in this contest.
Tigerturbulance (Furies) - He's been a livewire ruckman for the Furies and was crowned the best player in the comp by Broken's Swankie Medal. Has a great knack of hitting the scoreboard with a bag of 5 this season from ruck and is one of the best tap ruckmen in the league. It's safe to say his duel with R2M is the biggest match up of the game.
NaturalDisaster (Furies) - Leading the league's best defence is the league's worst captain in ND. If he is indeed leaving, this will be his last final series with the Furies and that might spur him to finish on a high. He's a general in the backline but can shut down a full forward as well as any and will be looking to nullify rookie spearhead Jivlain on Sunday. The likes of Nuffers and Shadow Man tend to play well when ND can get the job done defensively.
Predictions
The Furies will likely turn this into a low scoring contest but I think this works into the Gumbies favour. They have a great ability to win in high pressure, low scoring games and play as a real tight knit unit. I'm gonna go for the Gumbies in a close one by less than a goal but it's either gonna be a close win to the Gumbies or a thrashing by the Furies.
Thanks to kdavva74, JoshWoodenSpoon (write-ups), Barrybran (graphics) and Ljp86 (stats) for their work on these OPs.
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